What an ending. While I didn't love this as much as the first book, it was still a wonderfully dark read. I found the time jump abrupt since we ending on a cliffhanger, but it was still so interesting seeing how things had changed since the events of The Keeper of Night. I loved being back with our crew, and there were definitely moments that made my spine tingle. Overall, Kylie Lee Baker has proven to me that she is a new auto-buy author - a master of word and mythology.

Enshrouded in Japanese mythology, this conclusion to The Keeper of Night sees Ren truly find who she is and who she becomes.

Since becoming the Japanese Goddess of Death, Ren takes it upon herself to find her brother by being something that Neven won't hate as much.

Meanwhile, the Shinigami that are supposed to serve Ren oppose her and are no good when Ivy, Ren's adversary, decides to sail to Japan for revenge.

Together with Hiro's brother, Tsukuyomi, the Moon God, Ren must battle her way to stay alive and show why she is rightly the Goddess of Death.

The mood of The Empress of Time shifts from chaotic and almost helpless to dark as we journey with Ren to try and stop Ivy without Ren turning into Deaths former ruler's.
The world building that was created is so fantastical and full of characters, which almost feels like this should be longer than a duology.

The ending of The Keeper of Night practically killed me so I needed a good & proper closure. I was terribly upset and needless to say, so was Ren. Well, Ren was absolutely LIVID. She would do anything... ANYTHING to get her beloved brother back and that's what she's trying to do in this sequel to The Keeper of Night. On top of that, she's had to put up with insubordination of her underlings AND the British Reapers coming for revenge against her.

There was a lot going on in this book. I must admit that my memory of The Keeper of Night was kind of sketchy but it didn't really matter in the end. The Empress of Time is another tale of quest and adventure involving Japanese mythology (gods & creatures) wherein Ren finally truly found herself and home. A truly satisfying but grueling ending for our self-made goddess of death.

My thanks to Harlequin Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

I am so sad that Ren's story is finished. This book was one big rollercoaster ride of emotion.
The way this book had me gasping, laughing and crying in the space of 5 minutes is award winning.
I loved this book and I will be the first person to buy Kylie Lee Bakers next novel because she has a way with words. Also Ren is THE anti-hero.

I loved the first novel in this duology (“The Keeper of Night”). It was strong and original, with a freshness that is rare. I’m pleased to report that this novel, which completes Ren’s story, is just as strong.

This review contains minor spoilers for that first novel – I’ll try to minimise them.

Ren Scarborough is half Japanese, half English. Half Shinigami, those responsible for collecting the souls of the dead in Japan. Half Reaper, those who fulfil the same duty in England. Raised in England, she’s now in Japan.

Ren is intent on retrieving her beloved brother Neven from the deep dark, to which he has been banished. She needs to be stronger to do this, and she gains strength through reaping and swallowing more and more souls. But then she discovers that the Reapers have followed her to Japan. They intend to kill her, and claim Japan (or at least the Japanese realm of death) as a colony.

Ren seeks help from the Gods to defeat the Reapers, and finds herself on a desperate quest across Japan, trying to find the artifact that could win her their help.

This is nominally young adult, but it will appeal to readers of any age who are looking for complex, thoughtful writing. The worldbuilding is magnificent. The novel is set in the early 1900s, in both Japan and the realms of death. The worlds are vivid and real. Baker uses Japanese myths and traditional lore, with an original twist. These myths are likely to be unfamiliar to many western readers, but Baker makes them both comprehensible and an integral part of the narrative.

Ren is a strong character. We empathise strongly with her dilemma, and with the difficult options available to her to resolve it. None are particularly attractive, and we find ourselves swept into her blood soaked journey with a surprising amount of sympathy for her.

There are a number of supporting characters, and each is drawn with similar sympathy and vividness. I’m not sure I necessarily liked anyone in this book, but I certainly understood them and their motivations and actions.

Like many young adult novels, this focuses on the main narrative thread, with few sub plots to distract. Given the complexity and depth of that narrative and Ren’s character, it still feels like a good solid read. It’s a more thoughtful read than some novels, so I didn’t zip through it – I found myself savoring it.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s an excellent novel in itself, but readers who’ve read the first in the duology will get much more out of it. Together they make for a complex but not difficult story with a memorable central character.

I recommend this highly to fantasy readers, young and old.

This was such a satisfying ending to The Keeper of Night Duology. I’m rarely as impressed by sequels, but I loved this one just as much as the first. Once again I was a big fan of the setting, the atmosphere and the writing style. Kylie Lee Baker has a way of crafting the most lyrical sentences that make you stop and appreciate how beautiful it sounds.

The biggest stand out to me was the relationship between the two siblings as they were pulled into another round of literally fighting against the clock. Ren and Neven mean the world to me with their “it’s the two of us against the world” dynamic, and I really appreciated how big of a focus their bond was has been throughout both books.

This is definitely going on my list of historical fantasy series I will always recommend.

I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Being a little late to picking up Keeper of the Night, I was glad that I could get my hands on the sequel after a cliffhanger ending. The story picks up a decade after the events of the first book and although we are given a summary of what happened in that time, it still felt jarring. The reason I enjoyed the first book was the relationship between Ren and Naven, which grows in leaps and bounds in this book. I appreciated that Ren stayed a grey character and stuck to her beliefs, although frightening with dark consequences at times. She has an incredible character growth through the book and we really see her become a strong and confident woman.

I relished the cultural aspects of the book with the fantasy-mythology element. Many of the scenes in the book transported me to another realm and kept me immersed in the world Baker creates.

Having enjoyed the first book in this duology, I was keen to see how Ren's story would end. The Empress of Time started a little slowly, but the action soon picked up and there were some enjoyable, well-depicted sequences. Ren was still a compelling character, and I had fun following her journey, but some of the other characters, such as Neven, didn't come across as well as in the first book. Tsukuyomi was a good addition, though, and I liked learning more about him as the tale progressed. The ending was essentially satisfying and wrapped everything up well. Taking the books individually, I don't think this second volume had quite the impact of the first for me. However, it was still good to see the resolution of the tale, so if you enjoyed book one, I recommend finishing the series. It gets 4 stars from me.